Sweet Potato Chili
This is one of my staple, go-to pantry recipes. I typically have all of the necessary ingredients on hand, and it only takes me roughly half an hour to make.
I usually make this without a recipe, but after some requests from friends, I figured I could measure out what I was doing to put it up on the blog! It’s a vegetarian chili, and the recipe got its roots from a physical trainer, so I’d say it’s a pretty healthy weeknight choice. (This recipe is also vegan if you don’t serve it topped with cheese!)
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 sweet potato
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 can black beans
1 can red beans (kidney are what I use, but feel free to use white or pinto if you prefer)
1 can diced tomatoes
Instructions
Begin by dicing the red onion and mincing your garlic. Put a large pot or dutch oven on the stove and pour in your olive oil, set to medium heat. (A trick I learned in a cooking class is that a ring of olive oil around the pan is usually about a tablespoon, so feel free to eyeball this). While the pot heats up, peel and dice your sweet potato into fairly large chunks.
Once the oil seems warm enough, add your onion and garlic into the pot and stir to combine. Top with the salt. You’ll want to stir the onions fairly frequently until they become translucent, then toss in the sweet potato chunks.
Let the onions caramelize a bit and try to get some color on the sweet potatoes, then add in all of the spices — cumin, cayenne, chipotle, red pepper flakes and chili powder. If you like, you can also sprinkle in some cinnamon too for a sweeter, warming effect.
Once those are all stirred in, rinse your beans and add to the pot. Pour the canned tomatoes in undrained. Stir it all together and turn the heat down to a low bubble. Let the chili simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or more, until the sweet potatoes have softened.
Dish into bowls and top with shredded Mexican blend cheese! You can also top with avocado, and it’s great served with tortilla chips on the side. One of my favorites for leftovers.
